Pregnant Woman Shot

Boyfriend Is Charged

April 20, 1987

A 25-year-old South Side man accused of shooting his pregnant girlfriend in the stomach was charged Sunday with attempted murder, according to police. The victim, Rhonda Smith, 27, was reported in serious condition at Bernard Mitchell Hospital. The woman`s unborn child died, police said.

Police said Smith, who was five months pregnant, was shot about 10 p.m. Friday during an argument with Derrick Taylor in the second-floor apartment they shared at 8717 S. Saginaw Ave., according to Sgt. Rutherford Wilson of the Pullman Area violent crimes unit.

``About 10:45 p.m., Smith telephoned her sister and told her that her boyfriend had shot her in the stomach,`` Wilson said, ``The sister in turn called the police and patrol officers from the South Chicago District were sent to the apartment.``

When police arrived at the building, they entered through a rear door and ran up an interior stairwell. When they got to the top of the stairs, they heard two more shots and then kicked in the door of the apartment, police said.

The officers said they saw Taylor run into a bedroom where Smith lay bleeding. Police said Taylor held the officers at bay with a rifle for about 20 minutes before he was talked into surrendering.

Taylor was charged originally with possession of a controlled substance after suspected cocaine was found during a search of the apartment. The charge of attempted murder was filed only after prosecutors had an opportunity to interview the victim, Wilson said.

During that interview, Smith said the argument began after Taylor complained about the amount of weight she had gained during her pregnancy, Wilson said.